We call bitternut hickory "smooth bark hickory" here in Wisconsin,
because, not suprisingly, the bark is almost dead smooth and medium grey
in color. The nuts look pretty much like those of the shagbark hickory,
as do the leaves, but, as said earlier, the nuts are too bitter (too
acidic, I think) to eat raw. I think they boil the nuts to make them
edible. The wood makes good handles. I hadn't noticed the warping
described earlier, but then froe handles, cant hook handles and hammer
handles aren't all the fussy.
We are at the far north end of the shag bark hickory range in west
central Wisconsin and I don't know how far north of us the smooth bark
extends.

Pete Stanaitis
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Ted wrote:

Has anyone had experience turning Bitternut? For what: bowls, hollow
vessels, etc? I have a chance to get a load of it and don't know much
about the wood.
Thanks,
Ted